Sanna Kannisto is considered to be one of the most original photographers in Finland today. Following the traditions of staged photography, scientific illustration and still life paintings, the photographer has travelled the world to portray its diverse flora and fauna.
Kannisto is inspired by methods from both scientific research and art history, and she often collaborates with researchers in her projects. Her works are a testimony to the importance of her relationship with nature. Butterflies, birds, mushrooms… Sanna Kannisto portrays the living with gentleness, respect and wonder. In her works, man-made order meets wild fauna, offering the spectator multiple possibilities of interpretation. Whether in the tropical forests of Latin America or the ornithological stations of Europe, the artist observes the living, stages it and questions its fragility.
For her bird photography series, Kannisto frequented ornithological stations and used a portable field studio in order to observe birds in their natural habitat. Her technique is based on an artistic process which involves patience and unpredictability, since the birds are the ones deciding how they position themselves and how they interact with their environment and the photographer. Kannisto values eye contact with her subjects, aiming to create a real dialogue with them while capturing instants of their life. The final creative and aesthetic qualities of the photographs are dependent on the interaction she is able to create with the subject in the moment.
The way she experiences nature is directly channelled into her artistic expression. Kannisto does not simply show beauty, but sees it as a force and a means of persuasion – if art can have an emotional impact, it can also change people’s behaviour.
This spring, Sanna Kannisto’s works take over the walls of Institut finlandais’ gallery as part of Season I of the group exhibition Listen to the Forest that Grows from 26 April to 30 July 2022.
In parallel, Maison Louis Carré, designed by architect Alvar Aalto and situated in Bazoches-sur-Guyonne, will present Sense of Wonder from 24 April to 28 August 2022 an exhibition featuring more than twenty photographs and documentary videos by Sanna Kannisto that will be open to the public on weekends. Offering us a retrospective of her artistic journey and methods since the 1990s.
Kannisto’s work is also simultaneously presented at the gallery La Ferronnerie, as part of the Research on Wonder exhibition until 18 June 2022. Located in the 11th arrondissement in Paris, the gallery presents French, European and South American artists who focus on painting, drawing, installation, video, and photography.